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Branding KAGS-HD (Pronounced K-Ags) (general)
KAGS-HD News (newscasts) Affiliations NBC
(As semi-satellite of KCEN-TV) Owner Tegna Media
(LSB Broadcasting, Inc.) | ||
KAGS-LD (branded on-air as KAGS-HD) is the NBC affiliate for the Brazos Valley of Central Texas, licensed to Bryan. Owned by TEGNA, it is a sister station to KCEN-TV in Temple. Its studios are located on South Texas Avenue in Bryan, while its transmitter is located in the northern portion of the city. Some internal operations are handled at KCEN's studios outside Eddy.
Contents
Though identifying as a station in its own right, KAGS is a semi-satellite of KCEN. It clears all of KCEN's syndicated programming, but airs separate newscasts and commercials. KAGS serves the eastern portion of the Waco/Temple/Bryan market while KCEN serves the western portion. Both KCEN and KAGS are available on the Waco DirecTV and Dish Network feeds.
History
KAGS debuted on January 20, 2003 as KMAY-LP. The call letters were selected in honor of Frank W. Mayborn, who had founded KCEN in 1953. Previously, KCEN had operated a low-powered translator in the Brazos Valley on channel 62 for many years. KMAY was a straight simulcast of KCEN, with no local programming. It was upgraded to digital as KMAY-LD in 2009 and shortly afterward was sold to London Broadcasting along with KCEN.
In July 2011, then-owner London Broadcasting announced that KMAY would relaunch in the fall as KAGS, a locally focused NBC affiliate for the Brazos Valley. The station had changed its calls to KAGS-LD in May, but continued to operate under the KMAY calls until October. Newscasts are broadcast in High Definition on virtual sets created with chroma key technology. On its first day as a locally-focused station, it replaced KCEN on most Brazos Valley cable systems. In 2013, KAGS rolled out its first full-fledged website. Since its 2011 relaunch, its website had been a section of KCEN's website.
KAGS-LD was included in Gannett Company's purchase of parent station KCEN-TV and several other London Broadcasting stations, which was completed on July 8, 2014.
On June 29, 2015, the Gannett Company split in two, with one side specializing in print media and the other side specializing in broadcast and digital media. KAGS was retained by the latter company, named TEGNA. However, KAGS retained its London Broadcasting-era Website until September 2016.
Digital channels
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
News operation
In October 2011, the station launched its local news operations. It was the second full-fledged newscast for the Brazos Valley. Previously, CBS affiliate KBTX-TV had been the only station airing a full schedule of news for the Brazos Valley.
On March 23, 2015, KAGS, along with sister station KCEN, launched the Gannett group's graphical theme as part of their rollout to the ex-London stations.